Deconstructing the perfect indoor light source design for a luxury yacht

The sun's ultraviolet rays can also damage human skin. Because of the reflection of the water surface, the ultraviolet intensity of the sea is much higher than that of the land. Therefore, to enjoy the health and comfort of the yacht life, it is crucial to control the light under the deck. Important design factors.

Yacht interior lighting

The Bible has a saying: "God said: 'To have light', there is light." Whether it is natural light from the sun or an artificial light source derived from fuel combustion or electrical energy, it is an indispensable element in people's lives. The yacht is said to be the second residence of some people outside the home, and the people living in it naturally cannot do without these two light sources. At the same time, the sun's ultraviolet rays can also damage human skin. Because of the reflection of the water surface, the ultraviolet intensity of the sea is much higher than that of the land. Therefore, you want to enjoy the health and comfort of the yacht life and control the under the deck. Lighting is a crucial design factor.

Natural Light

Yacht interior lighting

In general, windows (Windows), portlights, Skylights, deckprisms, and hatches are the five main light tunnels, and it is their presence that makes them in the yacht. The owner of the interior room can enjoy the skylight in the daytime without causing unnecessary waste of electricity (turning on the artificial lighting system). Their specific construction and number vary with the type and style of the yacht. Powerboats and sailboats have a big difference in the design of such components. For example, if you move the large sliding window of a powerboat to an ocean cruising sailboat, it is not only impractical, but also lacks aesthetics; likewise, if you are on a cruising sailboat The small copper frame portholes on the power boat will not be a thing that most people are comfortable with. In addition, safety performance is also a factor that cannot be ignored with these glazed parts: the frame must be strong, the glass must be able to withstand the impact of sea water of considerable strength, or at least be able to withstand accidental kicking. One fact that cannot be ignored: There are many yachts that sink because of the lack of strength of the glazing.

The so-called "window" mainly refers to the glass window of the superstructure of the power boat. For sailboats, such windows are not so common, mainly because most small and medium-sized sailboats have a lower native freeboard and a lower deck structure, unless they are on the waterline, such as Maltese Falcon. An oversized sailboat on the deck. But there is a fundamental principle that is inevitable: the closer you are to water, the smaller the window is, the stronger and waterproof it is. Ruggedness and water resistance naturally need not be said. The smaller the window (glass) area, the smaller the fragile area, and the less likely it is to break or even cause a tragedy. Even on a two-deck powerboat, the window near the water level must be a small round window or a rectangular porthole; in a salon and driving area 12 to 15 inches from the horizontal, a larger window can be allowed. Extravagant. Larger windows can be installed in the salon in the middle of the boat to provide a wider view of the main leisure space on the boat.

The preferred material for yacht window frames is naturally metal, and the three most commonly used metals are copper, aluminum and steel. Traditionally, the portholes that have been removed from large ships have used a large amount of cast copper, which makes the yacht look more classical and easy to maintain. However, as the chemical properties of copper itself show, the defects of the copper frame are relatively easy to be corroded by salty and wet seawater. If an aluminum frame is used, it is best to choose a welded or cast aluminum frame that is more durable. The calendered aluminum frame not only looks downgrade, but it is also not as strong as the first two aluminum frames. Of course, the welded or cast stainless steel frame is the best choice, but the price is much higher than the copper and aluminum frame.

Plexiglas are no longer often used as yacht glazing materials because they are prone to cracking under long-term sun exposure. Another composite material, polycarbonate (the bulletproof material that has been used in the national car for the first time), is not as scratch-resistant as conventional glass, but it is much stronger than Plexiglas in terms of resistance to light and deformation. And it's incredibly strong and therefore often used. Although the material used in the front windshield of the car is very strong and can bring a clear line of sight, considering that there is a stronger wave impact in addition to the sea breeze at sea, it is still necessary to further develop the technology to use it on the ship.

Due to its light weight and good price/performance ratio, plastic frame portholes occupy a very large market share for small boats. Their most obvious advantage is that they do not rust, but they do not have the firmness and aesthetics of the metal portholes.

Since there is a problem in what kind of material is used to make the window frame, the designer will completely abandon the limitation of the window frame one day, and design a frameless window, which has caused people to pursue it for a time. The so-called "frameless" is actually just hiding the frame in the hull or on the bulkhead. It doesn't seem to be too strange at the moment, because many models of yachts are used, and there is no and cannot completely replace the framed window design. The aesthetics of the presence or absence of a window frame vary from person to person. The people who like them are naturally clean and tidy; people who don’t like them are probably people who like traditional style, silver shiny steel frames and aluminum frames or gold-plated copper frames give them Historical memories.

Clearly, in addition to light, openable windows and side scuttles are important passageways for cabin ventilation. However, as the size of the window increases, the thickness of the glass also increases accordingly. Therefore, if it is for safety reasons, this openable large-area glass window becomes less practical, and the increased glass area and the decrease in its sealing performance will undoubtedly increase the risk factor of the yacht. Therefore, in addition to the openable glass window, other conventional dedicated ventilation ducts are also necessary.

The hatch covers have many functions, and the most valuable features are naturally both ventilation and lighting. Although there are many options from size to shape, they all have one thing in common: they can all be turned up. The more advanced hatch cover can even be turned in any direction and functions like a car air conditioner.

In addition to the above described design of the interior light "from scratch", another way to control the illumination of the interior is to control the amount of light passing through the light. For example, install a curtain with built-in double rails on the ceiling or a pull-type visor (or curtain) under the sunroof. This kind of detail design is very practical, especially when the boat stops, the morning sun shines in the direction of disturbing people's dreams, and you will be grateful to the designers for giving you a "overnight" on the boat. Sleeping to the sea to wake up naturally. And this can also be used to examine the designer's design sincerity and thoughtfulness. Many times the detail design best reflects the manufacturer's grade.

Historically, a so-called "deck prism" has been used on sailboats, in which a small rectangular piece of glass is placed in a frame on the deck. Their function is to refract a little natural light into the dark corners of the cabin. Nowadays, with generators becoming standard, electric energy lighting systems make this design an interesting past tense. Now, we can only relive the fascination of the past from some old-style sailboats.

Artificial Lighting

Whether the sun shines directly or not will be doubled 24 hours a day. When the sun is shining during the day, it is naturally convenient, but in the dark night or when the sun is lazy behind the dark clouds, we are not just sleeping. But it is not so pitiful to see the snow, because we have a "fire", it is a big deal to steal a wall. This "fire" refers to the artificial light source, which is as important to humans as the natural rays produced by the fusion of the fireball core in the sky.

Before the battery was invented, the artificial lighting on the yacht used an oil lamp. The first use of kerosene was whale oil, which was followed by kerosene. Its soft light makes people feel warm on cold days. However, despite the use of a hood, it will soon blacken the ceiling. Especially when you are sailing in the tropics, the heat generated by it is even more unbearable. Later, in modern times, the invention of the electric light completely solved this trouble. Today, the function of an exquisite kerosene lamp is no longer the traditional lighting, more of an elegant decoration on the living room table, because the lamp is "burning" not the lamp oil, but Edison invented That thing.

Nowadays, the basic yacht interior lighting scheme consists of three parts: general lighting, atmospheric lighting and task lighting.

General Lighting

In the gloomy afternoon or evening, you can use basic lighting to provide basic lighting for each cabin. Sometimes it's as simple as a 12-volt incandescent lamp. Incandescent lighting is a warm light source because it has a large red portion. Similarly, you can also use fluorescent lamps and plastic shades. One advantage of fluorescent lamps is that they are more energy efficient than incandescent lamps and produce low heat for use in hot summer days. In addition, there are a variety of fluorescent lamps that can emit different light. Warm fluorescent lamps highlight the colors of yellow, orange, red and purple in interior decoration or furnishings, while cool fluorescent lamps emphasize blue-violet, blue, blue-green and yellow-green. But more often, the most successful lighting solution is the mixing of incandescent and fluorescent lights. Therefore, it can be said that the quality of the interior lighting design depends largely on the aesthetics of the designer.

In the specific installation method, as in the home, the general lighting of the yacht can be hung from the overhead ceiling or mounted on the wall. Sometimes in order to achieve the effect of weakening, some ordinary lighting is also set at a lower place. In addition, the application of variable light sources on yachts is also worth mentioning. Although the invention is only a small step in the development of science and technology, the author believes that it is a big step in human civilization, because you can adjust the light and shade of the light according to your actual needs, and it is very conducive to energy conservation.

Atmospheric Lighting

Ambient lighting can create a warm and romantic interior in the night or in the dark days. Such lights include non-direct illumination, pedestal footlights that gently illuminate stairs and furniture, string lights on the edge of the dresser, and non-primary lighting such as recessed or fluorescent lights. Footlights and dim cockpit lights can also be used on the deck, creating an atmosphere while also providing a safer function. The author believes that the most accurate atmosphere lighting is not any light source in the room, but the circle of lights at the bottom of many yacht hulls. There is no doubt that turning on the lights at night can perfectly outline the hull lines, plus brightly lit lights. The superstructure, as well as the secluded light from the side scuttles on both sides of the hull, reveals a feminine look that is different from the day.

Task lighting

Task lighting refers to spotlights used for specialized activities. For example, the lamp that can be stretched and adjusted to the lampshade is hung on the chart table so that the captain can view the chart without being disturbed by others. What the chef needs is lighting fixtures that illuminate every corner of the kitchen and brighten important areas such as stoves and cooking stations. Of course, don't forget to illuminate the lighting of food, tableware and other lockers: simply install a small light on the inner wall of the cabinet door, you can let the flashlight lie in the drawer forever.

As a non-professional yacht interior designer, when purchasing or evaluating the lighting system of a specific yacht, although it is impossible to carry out thorough testing with various professional instruments from a very professional point of view, it still needs a few Pay more attention to the basic specific installation methods: uplighting, downlighting, spotlights, tablelights, footlights, lanterns and embedded lights. Turn on all the lights, in addition to see if they can normally shine, but also carefully observe whether they cover all the functional areas, whether the different lights overlap, serious, different colors, different intensity lights fall in the room

What effect does it have on interior decoration, hull, walls, furniture and curtains? Can it create a harmonious and warm atmosphere? But the most basic point is that the phenomenon of disharmony must be eliminated. For example, some places are dimly lit, and some places are dazzling.

Having said that, if you find some "defects", you can suggest improvements to the designer or factory technician. Sometimes you only need to replace some different types of lighting devices to solve the problem. For example, if an incandescent lamp can't highlight your beautiful embroidered sofa cushion, try changing it to a fluorescent light; if there are two light-emitting lights in the same place, replace them with a spotlight to make reading more comfortable; lighting The style of the device, especially the style of the lampshade, is very fast, and the cabin style can be changed by periodically changing the lighting device or the lampshade. At the same time, "Catch up with the trend", by the way, change your mood.

In short, as a "God", in addition to fully exercising your rights, you must wait for your boat to be perfectly presented with full patience. The so-called slow work out of fine work, finely crafted to get the best. Let your love boat emit the softest and most pleasant light day and night, it is definitely the most important thing. It is definitely worthwhile to spend time and time to operate, isn't it?